Is the government's Ujjwala target achievable?

The ambit of the Ujjwala scheme is to be increased from five crore to eight crore beneficiaries

Budget 2018: To make India open defecation-free, Centre must invest less in building toilets

The focus should be on educating people and building capacity for effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission

Central concerns

In a bid to give more fiscal autonomy to states, the Centre in the last budget gave them a higher share in Union tax receipts. Has this helped …

Financial devolution

With increased funds and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, India’s states now urgently need the institutional mechanism to manage this responsibility

Forget Union budget, track state budgets now

States, already flush with cash surplus of Rs 1.6 lakh crore, will get significantly raised share from the central taxes. Along with this …

Why US-China climate deal is neither ‘historic’ nor ‘ambitious’

It will take the world towards a catastrophic beyond 4°C temperature increase pathway

Budget brings no relief to health sector

FM does not mention Universal Health Coverage, combines rural and urban health missions while making allocations

Ending child marriage, beyond slogans

Nirmala Sitharaman's Union Budget 2020-21 speech proposed a task force to review minimum age of marriage for women; child marriage is widely …

GDP loss due to COVID-19 will lead to higher mortality

As economies take a tumble in states, expect a toll bigger than the pandemic itself

Economic Survey 2019-20: Agriculture growth stagnant in last 6 years

Document emphasises sustainable agricultural practices to support farmers and avert water crisis

Economic Survey 2019-20 bets on ‘nexus approach’ for meeting SDG

India needs to focus on goals like hunger and gender parity, where it still scores low

Democratic choice held hostage to cash: A tale of Odisha's urban poor

Though political parties deny such claims and these “incidents” often go unnoticed, the truth is that the poor consider elections to …

Demand for fair pricing of medicines at WHO forum

Delegates say that a frank discussion among all stakeholders would help identify strategies to reduce medicine prices and expand access for all

Budget for children: The story doesn’t change

Crucially missing in the budget is a response from the government in the area of Child Protection

Budget focuses on Gramin Swachh Bharat, clean railways

Swachh Bharat Gramin allocated almost 55 per cent higher funds; by 2019 all coaches of Indian Railways to be fitted with bio toilets 

MGNREGS falls short of funds again despite increased allocation in rural sector

Pending liabilities in the scheme means that workers’ wages are unpaid

Climate Change: Fossil firms risk US $2.2 trillion as investment in non-viable projects

If companies across the world continue fuel production in a business-as-usual scenario, UN action to achieve the climate goal will stall …

Railway budget promises clean water, better hygiene and safety

Ministry says it is seeking Cabinet approval to allow foreign direct investment in rail sector

Small farmers have little to cheer about

Companies will benefit most from steep hike in farm credit

NaMo budget on transport and pollution: Green expectations - Dashed hopes

NDAÔÇÖs maiden budget upholds and supports UPAII blunders to protect the automobile industry while ignoring the perils of …

In the name of the farmer

How we reviewed NDA’s interim budget last year

Modi government’s maiden budget was a patchwork of abandoned schemes being revived or existing ones being re-named. Despite some fund …

Renewable energy: areas of concern for Union Budget 2013-14

There is a need for mainstreaming renewable energy, but the budget outlay proposed in the 12th Plan is grossly inadequate

Expect budget to be rural-centric, focus on delivery to beneficiaries

PM Modi has already launched a major water conservation campaign, put the focus of his second tenure on revival of the agrarian economy

Poverty eradication - Why do we always fail?

The government plans to bring one crore households out of poverty by 2019. Such targets are announced each year, but why don’t they work?